Israel Kills Senior Hamas-Led Police Official in Gaza, Medics and Police Officials Say

An Israeli airstrike on Saturday killed Brigadier-General Abdel-Nasser Al-Maqadma, the head of the Hamas-led police force in the northern Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas-run interior ministry and medics.

“

Maqadma, known also as the governor of northern Gaza Strip, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in the Sheikh Radwan area north of Gaza City.

Al-Maqadma, also known as the governor of northern Gaza, was targeted in the Sheikh Radwan area north of Gaza City. In separate incidents, another Israeli strike killed a Palestinian medic in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, and a police officer who was wounded last week died from his injuries. Medics also reported that an Israeli airstrike killed two people in a house in Khan Younis in the south of the enclave, bringing Saturday's death toll to at least four.

The Israeli military had not immediately commented on the strikes. Israel has previously stated that it has killed dozens of Hamas-led police officials, accusing them of being members of Hamas's armed wing and posing threats. Hamas, however, contends that these attacks on its police force and headquarters are designed to sow chaos and anarchy in Gaza and violate the US-brokered October ceasefire.

“

Israel has killed dozens of members of the Hamas-led police force, including senior officials, in the past months, accusing many of them of being members of the Hamas armed wing who posed imminent threats to Israel and its forces inside Gaza.

These latest fatalities add to the more than 1,180 Palestinians, predominantly civilians, killed by Israeli attacks since the October ceasefire took effect, according to Gaza health officials. The truce halted full-scale fighting but has not ended the near-daily Israeli strikes. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by gunmen in Gaza during the same period. Mediators, including Egypt, Qatar, Türkiye, and the United States, are attempting to advance a peace plan, but progress remains slow.

“

Hamas says Israeli attacks on the police force and its headquarters are intended to sow chaos and anarchy in the enclave and violate the US-brokered October ceasefire.